Assessment of sexual function before medically assisted procreation: A mixed-methods study among a sample of infertile women and men cared for in a fertility center.

A mixed-methods study was conducted to investigate sexual function among infertile patients undergoing medically assisted procreation for the first time. The study employed an interview and content analysis approach, involving 45 infertile patients prior to their medically assisted procreation procedures. The findings revealed that infertile patients are a group at risk for sexual distress. Furthermore, patients with sexual dysfunctions exhibited lower levels of sexual activity, potentially diminishing their chances of achieving pregnancy. Participants faced challenges in openly discussing their sexual problems and demonstrated limited knowledge of sexual functioning. Among infertile women with sexual dysfunctions, the most frequently reported issues were sexual interest/arousal disorders, with a majority also experiencing pain during sexual activity and associated genital-pelvic pain disorders. In contrast, delayed ejaculation and erectile disorder seem to be more common in infertile men, while sexual desire and excitement disorders and premature ejaculation disorders appeared to be as common as in the general population. While the relationship between infertility and sexuality is complex, our study suggests that sexual dysfunctions or the absence of sexual activity may explain infertility. Therefore, it is imperative for clinicians to evaluate the sexual functioning of both men and women undergoing medically assisted procreation treatment, to increase their chances of procreation and offer them sexological support if needed. Future studies should expand their scope to include a larger sample size and delve into the potential etiological factors associated with sexual dysfunctions.

A Randomized Study Comparing Video-Based Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy With Video-Based Traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in a Sample of Women Struggling to Achieve Orgasm.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the effectiveness of integrating mindfulness-based techniques within therapy for women suffering to achieve orgasm. Although widely applied in psychotherapy, this approach has only recently been introduced in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. AIM: To compare the effectiveness of a video-based self-administered treatment, rooted within the cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) framework, with a video-based self-administered mindfulness treatment applying cognitive behavioral sexual therapy (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy), the latter of which was specifically created to increase women's ability to achieve orgasm. METHODS: A convenience sample of 65 women suffering from difficulties to achieve orgasm, aged 18 to 58 years (mean = 32.66, standard deviation = 9.48), were randomly allocated using a randomization procedure to either a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (N = 35) or CBT (N = 30) group. Each participant completed questionnaires before and after the start of treatment and 2 months after its completion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: We applied repeated-measure general linear models to compare the 2 groups (ie, between participant factor) on each dependent variable across time (ie, the within-participant factor). Compare mean analyses for paired samples were only conducted when the interaction effect between condition and time was significant (ie, P <.05). RESULTS: Statistical analyses show that women in both groups presented increased sexual functioning (P = .001) and decreased sexual distress (P < .001), as well as improved desire, arousal, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction (P < .05) after their respective treatments. Contrary to our hypothesis, significant reductions in sexual pain were only observed in CBT participants. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to apply a randomized allocation procedure to evaluate the effectiveness of a video-based mindfulness intervention for women struggling to achieve orgasm. These results should guide clinicians' decisions with respect to evaluating the relevance and the real added value of proposing mindfulness exercises to their patients with such difficulties. CONCLUSION: When women suffering from difficulties to achieve orgasm are randomly assigned to a mindfulness group or an active control, improvements in sexual functioning and reductions in sexual distress can be observed after both treatments. Adam F, De Sutter P, Day J, et al. A Randomized Study Comparing Video-Based Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy With Video-Based Traditional Cognitive Behavioral Treatment in a Sample of Women Struggling to Achieve Orgasm. J Sex Med 2020;17:312-324.

Development of the Sexual Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-S): Validation Among a Community Sample of French-Speaking Women.

It has been recently demonstrated that mindfulness-based intervention may be particularly suitable for addressing sexual difficulties in women. Although the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is currently one of the most widely used scales to assess mindfulness, no adaptation and validation of the FFMQ to measure female sexual functioning has been published. The main aim of this study was to develop and validate a sexual version of the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-S) to specifically measure mindfulness in the context of sexual encounters. A total of 251 healthy, French-speaking female volunteers were administered the FFMQ-S, the original FFMQ, and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS-R). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the FFMQ-S exhibits a five-factor model, as implied by the original FFMQ. Good scale reliability was observed. The FFMQ-S showed significant correlations with the FSDS-R and the usual FFMQ. Scores on the FFMQ-S correlated significantly more negatively with the total FSDS-R score than with the total score of the original version of the FFMQ. These findings clearly support the relevance of developing a version of the FFMQ tailored to sexual functioning.